I had a chance to handle a Bushmaster Carbon rifle chambered in 223 this past weekend and must say that I was quite impressed w/ the light weight of the rifle.

I've sort of thought about AR style rifles in the past just for fun shooting and maybe alittle varminting around the camp but, I have always been turned off mainly due to the weight of the models that do actually turn out great accuracy.

The carbon that I handled had a Swarovski 3-9 and a loaded clip and still probably only weighed 6lbs. The owner didn't seem real sure of what the bench accuracy potential of the rifle was but, seemed quite pleased w/ the function of the rifle.

Have any of you shot these rifles?

What sort of accuracy could one expect?

I bet they'd be a ball of fun and probably be quite handy for medium range coyote control...


Thanks

Reloader

The Carbon-15 is NOT the rifle to buy if you seek bench-type accuracy. But then, why would one buy such a rifle for accuracy, when its forte is lightweight, speed, and the ability to spray the environment with 30 or so rounds at the whim of its operator?

I have one of the originals when they were manufacuted by Professinal Ordnance. It functions fine, shoots as well as I can offhand, but does no better than 2-3" from the bench with the most forgiving of loads.

If you want one for informal offhand shooting (and things like perforating a mob of hogs or giving a running coyote fits), then by all means mount a lightweight compact, low power scope on it. A 3-9 Swarovski is as out-of-place on this rifle as buckhorn open sights on a thousand-yard bench gun.

Stonecreek,

Hadn't thought about it for a mob of hogs but, that does sound interesting. I've given them fits w/ a 22mag (head/neck shots).

I agree the Swarovski was alittle much on the fellas rifle but it was lightweight and complimented the rifle well.

A red dot of some sort would probably be nice.

By your findings w/ accuracy, A mini 14 would probably serve just as well.

Reloader

Yes, I would put the Mini-14 in the same accuracy class. However, the Mini-14 isn't nearly so featherweight as the Carbon-15.

The C-15 runs 3.9 pounds, bare, in the basic model if you leave the muzzle flash hider off. With a Compact Leupold, aluminum rings, and a full eight-shot factory magazine for an AR-15 mine probably tips the scales at 5 and a quarter or something like that. (I prefer the small magazine for its lower, handier profile. Viet Cong being scarce in my part of the country these days, I don't have too much use for the 30-rounder.)